Foothills Stream Crossing Partnership (FSCP)

fRI Research is pleased to congratulate the Foothills Stream Crossing Partnership on the "Shared Footprint" award they received at the 2017 Emerald Awards!

Report of UofA student's research looking at stream crossings near Grande Prairie

Visitors to Hardisty Creek just south of Hinton can now learn about geotextile reinforced soil (GRS) arches, the institute’s Foothills Stream Crossing Program, and what goes on within a creek, thanks to new interpretive signage. Take a trip down Highway 40 south. The signs are visible from the road and are on the west side of the highway. They include information about the Athabasca rainbow trout, invertebrates, sediment deposits and turbidity.

On September 22nd, 2009 the Grade 8 French Immersion class from Harry Collinge High School, Hinton, AB, helped FRI researchers to plant willow wands along the banks of Hardisty Creek and Robb Road at the site of a new geo-textile arch stream crossing. This may sound easy but the students quickly worked up a sweat pounding rebar into the rocky soil to make holes for the willow wands. The students learned about the importance of a healthy watershed and the processes of watershed and riparian restoration.

In the August issue of eNotes we told you about replacing a culvert with a new system called geotextile reinforced soil (GRS) arch to re-establish fish passage on Hardisty Creek, located along Robb Road 6.6 km south of Hinton. This project provides an opportunity to demonstrate cost advantages and environmental benefits of this alternative crossing technology. The GRS arch structure does not require footings and can be constructed using primarily local materials.

A culvert on Hardisty Creek located along Robb Road 6.6 km south of Hinton was identified as a barrier to fish passage. Funding was secured through Fisheries and Oceans Canada to replace a dysfunctional round culvert with a new system called geotextile reinforced soil (GRS) arch to re-establish fish passage.